Little Italy restaurant recognized as a meeting place

Hollywood has its Walk of Fame. Palm Springs has its Walk of Stars and now Cafe Zucchero in Little Italy has its "Floor of Romance."

Anthony Napoli met the lady of his dreams standing in front of the cafe deli counter. Their exchange of small talk 10 years ago led to a first date, which led to engagement and eventually to their wedding on Aug. 11, 2007.

Napoli, who runs a real estate business, recently asked a favor of cafe owners Joe and Frank Busalacchi. He wanted to surprise his wife, Sara Wilensky, by installing a commemorative tile on the very spot she was standing the day they met in February, 2003.

“They thought I was nuts,” Napoli admits. Nevertheless, he convinced the Busalacchis to let him install a plaque in the granite tile floor after hours one night last week.

At 8:30 the next morning, the exact time he first spoke to Sara 10 years ago, he led her there. Sara looked down at the engraving: “Anthony Napoli met Sara Wilensky on this spot…” “She went into shock and started to cry,” says Napoli, noting you don’t need the Internet to meet your soul mate.

Getting results: Local marketeer Joe Ditler recalls writing to McDonalds heiress Joan Kroc in 1989 with a tongue-in-cheek complaint that a local McDonalds refused to give him extra pickles on his Big Mac. In no time, Kroc had arranged for 6,300 dill pickles, tied with a red ribbon, to be delivered to Ditler’s Coronado home, along with the note: “I hope this helps with your pickle predicament.” The delivery was mentioned in local media.

Fast forward to 2013. Ditler recently wrote to Oscar Mayer after the driver of its Wienermobile PR car, ignored his pleas to talk, tour the vehicle or to replace his broken 1957 Oscar Mayer whistle.

This week he received a box from Oscar Mayer containing a dozen wiener whistles, three toy Wienermobiles and a slew of free hot dog coupons. A lighthearted note said: “We’re sorry you didn’t receive a wiener whistle and your interaction didn’t cut the mustard. We hope you relish the wiener whistles and coupons.”

Looking forward to the hot dogs, Ditler laments, “I wish I had saved some of those pickles …”

Business is blooming: A gussied up Flower Hill Promenade reopened Wednesday with Council members Sherri Lightner and Kevin Faulconer in the ribbon-cutting crowd.

A $30 million renovation, which added Whole Foods and several other new retailers, had overcome some neighborhood opposition to its expansion along the way. “It’s been exactly 3,822 days, 112 hours and 35 minutes,” said managing partner Jeffrey Essakow, referring to the date his firm Protea Properties, purchased the shopping center.

Wednesday was another groundbreaking event for him. “Whole Foods allowed me to be their very first customer,” Essakow said. “I bought a box of strawberries.”

Beyond Oscar: Teen-aged artist Inocente Izucar, star of the film that won an Academy Award for best short documentary last Sunday, has given the film’s directors, Sean and Andrea Nix Fine, a gift of her own. The formerly homeless teen, who found refuge in her art though a local nonprofit ARTS program, gave them two of her original paintings featured in the film: “The Lost Planet” (an imaginary place where her lost dreams went) and a self-styled family portrait that she had toted with her when she was homeless. When the Fines’ Oscar goes on their mantel, Inocente’s painting can hang above it.

Tidbits: Hip hop rapper Jayceon Terrell Taylor, better known as The Game, hit the Gaslamp club scene here Tuesday night. The tattooed former gang member took the mike at Fluxx after driving up in a red Fisker, an environmentally friendly hybrid, followed by an entourage of about 40 folks…

Pacific Beach’s Patio restaurant, recently opened by developer Gina Champion-Cain, launched its Dawg Grog malt drink for true party animals Wednesday. At $7 a bottle, the Oregon-brewed import is a pricey purchase for your pooch. But then again, not many restaurants welcome Fido or Fifi for dinner, let alone yappy hour. Executive Chef John Medall offers homemade dog biscuits. Wonder what Yelp will say…

Former county CAO Walt Ekard humbly commented on Facebook, after receiving the local Chamber of Commerce “Spirit of San Diego” award named after Herb Klein: “He was a friend and mentor. The kind of man who would have been amazed that such a prestigious award was named after him… And more amazed that I won it!”